Gila County Unemployment Increased in October

Gila County’s unemployment rate rose in October The county’s rate rose from 9.8% in September to 10.1% in October. But the state’s unemployment rate fell slightly from 9.1% to 9%. That’s down from about 9.7% a year ago.

Nationally, the unemployment rate held steady at 9.1 percent. That's the first time in several months that Arizona’s rate has dropped below the national unemployment rate.

Gila County’s work force in October stayed pretty much the same at a little more than 23,000.

Petition Targets Monster.com

The online job placement company Monster.com is the target of a petition drive. Organizers of the drive are hoping to get the web site and others like it to stop accepting job advertisements that prohibit unemployed people from applying. They say that’s discrimination.

The petition’s author Kelly Wiedemer says this practice negates everything a worker has accomplished over a lifetime, saying that their education and experience has no value.

Public News Service reports that the petition has nearly 90,000 signatures and organizers hope to get 200,000.

New Jersey already has a law banning ads that prohibit jobless workers from applying, and Michigan and New York are considering it. A bill to outlaw the practice has been introduced in Congress.

The petition is here.

1.4 Million Out of Work 99 Weeks or Longer

The Congressional Research Service says there are 1.4 million “very long term unemployed” who have been out of work 99 weeks or longer.

The Huffington Post reports that 99 weeks is a milestone because it is the limit for unemployment benefits. After that, the jobless aren’t eligible for much except food stamps and charity. And the job market for anyone out of work that long is downright hostile.

The CRS report says that very long term unemployment is more likely to afflict older workers than younger ones. The report also says that the long term unemployed—as opposed to the very long term unemployed just mentioned—are people who have been out of work for six months. As of December 6.4 million people have been out of work for six months are longer.